Halos pleased with progress at Winter Meetings

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The Angels still haven't made a move at the Winter Meetings. But as the sun went down on Washington, D.C., and the ferris wheel by the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center lit up by the Potomac River on Wednesday night, they were moving closer.

The club is looking for a second baseman, a fourth outfielder and pitching depth and is exploring trades and possible free-agent signings to get those vacancies filled. General manager Billy Eppler said late Wednesday afternoon that the conversations he's been having since his contingent arrived from Orange County on Sunday night are possibly starting to get somewhere.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The Angels still haven't made a move at the Winter Meetings. But as the sun went down on Washington, D.C., and the ferris wheel by the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center lit up by the Potomac River on Wednesday night, they were moving closer.

The club is looking for a second baseman, a fourth outfielder and pitching depth and is exploring trades and possible free-agent signings to get those vacancies filled. General manager Billy Eppler said late Wednesday afternoon that the conversations he's been having since his contingent arrived from Orange County on Sunday night are possibly starting to get somewhere.

"Things feel like they're advancing," Eppler said. "It feels like there's been progress on the needs and desires we've articulated."

Sources confirmed that the Angels were still considering Bud Norris as a pitching addition and switch-hitting veteran Coco Crisp as an outfielder, among other options. But Eppler also said the team was exploring deals that could potentially create depth to allow the team to then spin off possibly larger transactions.

As for second base, the Angels would prefer to add a left-handed hitter given the fact that seven of the remaining eight slots in the projected lineup are currently right-handed bats. Left-handed-hitting free-agent second baseman still available include Chase Utley, Stephen Drew and Chris Coghlan.

Right-handed-hitting Brandon Phillips of the Reds could be a possible trade target. Brian Dozier of the Twins, who hit 42 home runs in 2016 and also hits right-handed, is reportedly available, but the Angels likely don't have the young pitching prospects that Minnesota would want to make that deal.

"You don't always get your Christmas list answered exactly where you want it," manager Mike Scioscia said. "But we definitely need some depth there. I know that Billy is working hard on it."

Outfielders that could fit the bill other than Crisp include switch-hitter Angel Pagan and slugger Brandon Moss.

And pitchers the Angels might be interested in other than Norris include right-handers Ivan Nova, Jason Hammel and Doug Fister, as well as lefties Derek Holland and Jorge De La Rosa.

Eppler couldn't guarantee that anything would get done before the club departed the Washington area following the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning, but he seemed patient and content that the groundwork would pay off in the coming days or weeks.

"A lot more conversations," Eppler said. "That's what I've been doing. I have things that are moving in a positive direction."